Running with RFID in the Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon has been around for nearly 111 years. RFID technology hasn't been around for nearly that long. The historic event was run without RFID for its first 99 years, but began using the RF tags for runners in the centennial running of 1996. The same qualities that made the Department of Homeland Security leave RFID out of the Real ID mandatory spec make it perfect for verifying the position of runners. RFID's promiscuous nature allows race organizers to verify the time when runners cross the 10K, half-marathon, 30K, and finish lines. This year, runners will be able to give friends a family members a URL to use to keep track of their times, or have email alerts sent automatically. With RFID tags getting smaller, the future of RFID for the Boston Marathon seems bright, indeed.

For the complete account of RFID at the Boston Marathon:
- Read the write-up at NetworkWorld